Want to Help the Open Access Cause? Get the Button!

No, it’s not a spiffy button that you wear, it’s a neat bookmarlet that allows for the collection of information about paywalls standing in the way of research. The button was dreamed up by Medsin-UK and the Right to Research Coalition (Washington DC), as a way to gather information about how frequently and where researchers are running into paywalls, as well as to try and provide the user with an open access version of the blocked content. From the “About” page for the project:

Every day people around the world such as doctors, scientists, students and patients are denied access to the research they need. With the power of the internet, the results of academic research should be available to all. It’s time to showcase the impact of paywalls and help people get the research they need. That’s where Open Access Button comes in.

The Open Access Button is a browser plugin that allows people to report when they hit a paywall and cannot access a research article. Head to openaccessbutton.org to sign up for your very own Button and start using it.

Vision for the Button:

“A fair and just world in which access to research is a reality for all”

Mission of the Button:

A tool for advocates detailing quantitative and qualitative information about the lack of access to scientific literature

A tool for the public and professionals to more easily access scientific literature within the current system

Creation of a platform for further innovation.

Sign up for your very own button HERE and be a part of the Open Access movement.